"Most of the patients (being treated in hospitals) are older adults, especially those with comorbidities and (those who) have not been vaccinated (against COVID-19)," acting head of the South Sulawesi Health Office, Dr, Arman Bausat, said here on Thursday.
Almost all hospitals in the province, especially those in the Makassar area, are providing services to COVID-19 patients, he said.
According to the South Sulawesi Health Office, the bed occupancy rate in intensive care units (ICUs) has reached 15 percent, while the occupancy rate at isolation centers has only touched 8 percent so far.
Most COVID-19 patients are preferring to self-isolate at home because they are mostly experiencing mild symptoms, Bausat informed.
"Those who are being treated in hospitals are mostly experiencing moderate to severe symptoms. Most of them have also not been vaccinated," he said.
Related news: Vaccination coverage reaches 64 percent in S Sulawesi's Makassar city
He further said that the Ministry of Health has found that 85 percent of Omicron patients who have succumbed to the infection were patients who were vaccinated, had not completed their two-dose vaccination series, or had comorbidities.
The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Indonesia in March 2020. According to data from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of March 3, 2022, Indonesia has recorded a total of 5,667,355 COVID-19 cases, 4,986,391 recoveries, and 149,268 deaths.
Meanwhile, South Sulawesi has so far recorded 135,288 COVID-19 cases, 114,331 recoveries, and 2,346 deaths, as per the task force’s data.
The Ministry of Health detected the first Omicron case in Indonesia on December 15, 2021. With the spread of the new variant, Indonesia has recorded a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Related news: More student vaccinations can expedite offline learning: President
Translator: Nur Suhra, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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